Monday, October 3, 2011

Flower Balls


Last year I planted annual mums…you know…the kind you get from the grocery store.  Nothing special.  I even planted them late and got slim pickings…because I’m a procrastinator like that.  So it was a HUGE surprise when my mums started to make a return this year.
DSC_0068

Ah…pretty right?  But…and there’s a big butt…..they really look more like this…
DSC_0070

Uhhh….yes…that is one bush on the left, and kind of a half of a bush on the right. One. One of those little potted mums that you get from the grocery store coming back with a vengeance and taking up my ENTIRE planting bed.  CRAZY! I had no idea how to take care of mums, so I did not know that I was supposed to pinch them every time they grew about 6 inches.  I know this now and will definitely take note for next year if they decide to make another appearance.  So nuts!
Since I had so many lovely mums, I decided that I would make something that I’ve been eyeing for awhile on Pinterest. Flower balls!  It was originally from Martha Stewart weddings….but who says you can’t have balls of flowers everyday?  Not me! I’m all for anything in ball form any time of day.  Wait, that didn’t come out right…
So let’s make this project free again, right?  I dug up some Styrofoam balls, some thin floral wire, chopped off some mums, from the back, of course, so you would see a big hole.  I suppose I could have just used that half a bush on the right, but the big one wasn’t missing her junk in the trunk.  If you want these balls to last for more than a couple days, you should also get some flower solution to dip the flower heads in before you attach them to the balls.  I wanted it to be free and didn’t have any, so c’est la vie.
DSC_0075

If you plan on hanging your balls…I suggest creating a little cage around your ball with wire.  I didn’t know what I wanted to do with these…so I did it just in case I wanted to hang them.
DSC_0077

Then you want to pinch off just the mum head, right where the stem meets the bottom.  Sorry, I should really get updated on my botanical terms. I know don’t know the stamen from the phalanges.  Then you take a small bit of your floral wire and bend it into a “U”.  Insert the 2 little wires through the middle of the flower and through the bottom.  Almost like you’re stapling it.
DSC_0079
DSC_0080

If you are using bigger balls and bigger flowers, a “U” like the one above is great.  But I found for the mums, the heads are so small and delicate that if you do this size you get this:
DSC_0084

See those wires in there? Not cute!  So I ended up doing a lopsided “U”…a hook you might say, and a single side of the wire would come out.  It worked much better.
DSC_0086

After about 50 little mum heads….I had this!
DSC_0089

SOOOO CUUUTTTEEE!!! I am in love with the cuteness!!!  I decided to hang these from my dining room chandy for a couple reasons.  I love them and this is the first thing I will see coming down the stairs in the morning, they are small balls so they’d get lost if I hung them outside, and I was having people over for brunch so I wanted them right in their face so I could say “LOOK AT WHAT I DID!!!!  LOOK AT ME!!!  PAY ATTENTION TO ME!!!” Haha….I’m not really like that…I’m much worse.
DSC_0095
And with a few spritzes of water every morning they have lasted 3 days, so far!  I know it’s not a lot, but I really thought they would shrivel up after a few hours!  I didn’t plan on having them around for long anyway since Halloween is about to take over my little nest, but they are doing a great job at keeping the fall spirit in the house!

5 comments:

  1. We both posted "balls" today at Kate's party! Yours are just too adorable! Who knew that your mum plant was on plant steroids when you planted it in your yard? Mine never make it through the season! LOL Of course, if I remembered to water the pots, they would do much better! Must be old age creeping in...
    Anyway, I really do like your version- they would be so pretty for a special occasion, such as a shower, a wedding, my birthday party.... Too bad no one else in my family is "crafty" like me! ha ha I have one claim to fame- my own leaf balls- and they are a fluke... stop over and take a look. Nice to meet ya here at the par-tay! ~ Sue

    ReplyDelete
  2. Too cute! Stopping over from Kate's Fall Craft party. Carrie

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love that! It turned out great. It would be perfect for wedding decorations too. I've seen flower girls with "flower balls" instead of baskets at a few weddings. Maybe you can start a little side business with all your mums! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. They looks great..I think I will do that with fake flowers...the one from $ store when I will have a party
    visiting form Thirfty decor chick

    Rasha @ mychampagnetaste

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very nice! I have a sad looking overgrown mum and I'm going to try this with it. It's sad enough that I have to hide it from company...

    Came from TT&J

    ReplyDelete

We love to hear your thoughts, good bad or random! We love comments of all kinds!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 

Blog Design by Eedee Design Studios